Testing, Motivation and Learning

Abstract

The pamphlet Testing, Motivation and Learning is a summary of a systematic review of research on the impact of summative assessment and testing on pupils' motivation for learning and its implications for assessment policy and practice. The review was undertaken because of concern that some aspects of current assessment systems were negatively affecting pupils motivation for learning as well as impacting on the breadth of the curriculum and reducing the opportunities for assessment to be used to halp learning. The pamphlet brings together information about the overall impact, how this varies with pupil characateristics and with the conditions of testing. Implications are drawn for the action that can be taken to increase the positive and decrease the negative impact on pupil motivation by teachers, professional developers and school managers, and those responsible for national and local assessment policies.